Low
by rosefields
Summary: Steve has been lonely for a long time. Alone when he was sent to school, alone when his father died and alone with his diabetes. But now, he has a team, a family. If he lets them in. Pre-slash (Danny/Steve), will develop.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone,  
This is my first story. Constructive criticism is more than welcome. Happy reading.  
Rose xoxo  
I don't own Hawaii Five-0 or any related characters.

* * *

The day has been long. The latest case, denying him both sleep and sanity for the past week, has finally been wrapped up, a drug ring down being processed as he thinks. The Friday afternoon is mild, the setting sun setting fire to the back of Kono's dark hair as she walks ahead. Her youthful laughter trills, in response to something Chin has said. Or maybe it was Danny. Steve's not really sure. The office floats in and out of focus. Danny's head, too much hair product shining in the late afternoon sun, is bobbing around as if he's floating down at the beach; but wait, that can't be right, Danny doesn't swim. Steve's arm lifts, inside of his forearm wiping across his sweaty brow. He focuses on his legs. Legs, yes, legs he can do. One in front of the other. Finally, he staggers to his office. The sound of chatter makes it way to him, but it's indistinct, as if he's listening with a glass pressed against a door. Something isn't right. There is tingling in his mouth, and the sweat he knows he just wiped away has pooled around his neck again, slowly dripping into the crevice of his collarbone.

 _Cold and clammy, need some candy._ The rhyme was first told to him by a nurse when he was eight, and it spurs him into motion. Clumsy hands reach for the drawer in his desk he knows he stashed jelly beans in. The good kind, that sit right at the counter of a drug store, thicker and with more flavour than any convenience store brand. They're the glucose ones, especially for times like this. His knees begin to give way, and he uses the momentum to guide himself into his desk chair, the leather sticking uncomfortably as his cargo pants slide and his sweat slicked tee-shirt and arms come in contact with it. He thanks a god he doesn't believe in when he manages to get a hold of the tiny packet and finds it open, not sure he has the dexterity required had he needed to open it. He can't grasp a single bean, so shovels a handful in, crunching the six or seven that make it into his mouth and ignoring the others that fall to the floor with his lack of coordination.

Time passes, a minute, maybe two, and Steve begins to come back to himself. He straightens his posture, absentmindedly popping another jelly bean into his mouth. His kit is in one of his pockets, and he tests. 4mmol/L. It's still way too low. Another handful of jellybeans are crunched. He lets his head fall, resting on the cool wood of his desk. A knock on the door has him jerking up, hand reaching for a piece that isn't holstered.  
"Woah, woah big guy, take it easy." Danny's Jersey timber is light, his tone easy as his posture, leaning against the door Steve realises too late he'd left open.  
"What'dya want Danno." Steve knows he really needs something more substantial than simple sugars, a sandwich, a tub of yoghurt, anything would be better than the candy at this stage. But the nearest real food is on the other side of the office. With Danny. Danny, who will surely notice the stumble that will still be in his stride, the shakiness of his hands.  
Uninvited, Danny wanders closer. "What is this?" With a sweeping hand, he steals the half full package, helping himself to the treasure within. "Candy? You? Sitting in your office, by yourself, eating _candy._ " And this is bad, bad because if Danny is going to stick around for much longer, he's going to need the very packet that is causing him to stick around.  
"Danny, I'm not in the mood." He tries to look down, pretend the paperwork in front of him is what he's doing.

The Blonde sidles closer, concern now showing in the creases of his forehead.  
"You good? You're looking kinda, I dunno, less GI Joe and more Snow White there."  
"Fine." He grunts, his headache is once again pounding, and the room feels hotter than it did a second ago. He really needs that sandwich. Or a couple of dried apricots. Maybe a bowl of pasta.  
"You sure?" Concern. Definitely concern now. He opens his mouth, on the defensive, ready to fire with aggression. The shrill sound of Danny's phone rings. The shorter man grumbles, walking out to take the call. He's saved by the bell.

* * *

An hour later, Steve is more or less feeling himself. His BGL is back at 17, more or less his resting. He'd replaced his sweaty t-shirt with a fresh one from his bag, and was contentedly zipping in and out of lanes of traffic, as Danny clung to the doorhandle for his life.

"I see you're feeling better" he comments.  
Steve glares at his partner. "I was fine."  
"Keep telling yourself that." Is the reply, accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders.  
The rest of the ride is taken in silence, broken only by the squeaking of the breaks as they pull up at Danny's apartment.  
"You got Gracie this weekend?" Steve asks, hoisting himself out of the car and over to his Silverado, parked on the street.  
"Yep, she's getting here in about an hour. I get her for another two weeks, Rachel and Step-Stan are off on a conference." Danny's voice is airy and happy, in a way it only gets when he talks about the bubbly ten-year-old that is his daughter. Steve vaguely wishes he could make Danny sound like that.  
As Steve unlocks his door, Danny's eyes go serious. "You sure you're okay?" There is a hesitation in his voice.  
Steve forces himself to laugh as he slides into his car, which will take him to his lonely home. "I'm fine Danno." He drives off. And if Danny was coming home to heat up the butter chicken that's sitting in the fridge, Steve would even be telling the truth.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi Again,  
Thank you so much to the people who have reviewed already, I was so glad to see them sitting there. Please leave a hello to let me know if you're enjoying it. Here comes the next chapter, please enjoy. I have a cover for this story ready to go, but as I have only just joined , I can't upload pictures yet. I've tried to edit, but it is my biggest weakness, so let me know if you find any mistakes ad i'll fix them up.  
Read on!  
Rose xx  
PS: still don't own

* * *

As soon as Steve is in the door, his shoulders drop. It's just ticked over to seven pm, and he knows that after the week he's had that his numbers are going to be off for the next day at least. He's been living mainly off vending machine sandwiches, takeout Chinese and too many glucose tablets. He puts the leftover curry into the microwave, leaves it spinning by itself. Takes his blood sugar, measures his insulin for the meal, fills a glass of water. Steve never used to get lonely. He was alone for so long; his mother and father were both dead, his sister was largely estranged. He'd been alone with his school, even in the navy. Alone to deal with his diabetes. Diagnosed when he was eight, his inability to regulate insulin internally was never a problem he'd shared when he'd found a team. When he'd found a family. A family that loved him, cared for him, was there for him. It made the silence and space he'd once felt so comfortable in feel large and lonely. His phone chimes, and he looks down.

The monkey has decided we're crashing at yours for the next few weeks.  
Something about the beach. See you in ten.  
D x

Steve's heart soars, and he races to pull the half-warmed meal out of the microwave. He inhales it in a way that would have made any of his navy buddies proud, regardless that it's only lukewarm, he doesn't taste it anyway. He pulls up his shirt and pinches non-existent fat together, presses his thumb without a flinch to inject his insulin. Caps the syringe, throws it into one of his sharps boxes (one of three), and places the box in his health food cupboard, where he knows Danny will never look. He races around the house, putting the other two boxes away, safely out of reach of Gracie's curiosity and Danny's nosiness. A case of beer he keeps in the cupboard for Danny is hastily unpacked into the fridge. Jogging upstairs, he throws open the window in Mary's old room, now kitted out for whenever Grace stays with pink mermaid sheets, dolls in one corner and her camping gear (pink backpack and all) in another. Satisfied the room is relatively clean and now airing out, he moves to Danny's adopted room and repeats the procedure. Slipping into his own room now, he swaps his cargos for board-shorts, leaving the plain white V-neck he'd changed into at the office on, knowing it will soon be off.  
He makes his way back downstairs, grabs his water, and strolls his way out to the lanai, lying down to catch his breath. Pretending to be casual. Pretending his heart hadn't soared at the message he'd just received, at the kiss at the end. He waits.

* * *

Danny's worried about Steve. His quick exit to his office had been unwelcome but not unusual; of the team, Chin was the only one who matched Steve in his efficiency with paperwork. His behaviour after that was both unusual and unwelcome. Danny was a healthy guy; he ran a few times a week, ate pretty well most of the time and kept up with someone like Steve. Despite this, Danny allowed himself the occasional cheat, malasada here, a beer there, that kind of thing. Steve was a different kind of beast. He swam and ran religiously. He ate like a bear, a healthy, fan-dangle-diet taking bear. He'd never seen the brunette pick up a beer, a strange thing for a navy man. And he had that whole 'body is a temple' crap going on, refined sugars rarely passed his lips. That was why Danny was so surprised to walk into his office and see not only an open packet of coloured, lentil-shaped sugar on the desk, but said candy littering the floor too. The pallor of his team-mate's sweat soaked face had sent warning bells off inside Danny's head and he mentally recounted any time during the apprehension of the drug ring that Steve could have acquired an injury. He'd drawn up a blank, chalking it up to the exhaustion of the day taking its toll. His worry had slipped his mind as Grace slid in, the coming weeks he had with he had with her filling him with joy. It was only the SEAL's shaky exit from the Camaro that had Danny remembering his worry again. It was the worry that had him packing his things and telling Grace as she walked in the door that they were staying with Uncle Steve for the week. The young girl had been only too happy at the prospect of a private beach and her doting uncle, pink-bobble adorned pig-tails jumping in time with their owner as she danced in delight. Steve didn't nee to know any of that. Knowing he was welcome without asking, Danny shot off a text and packed his things and daughter into the car.

The drive was quick at this time of night. Not fifteen minutes later, Danny pulled up outside the beachside house, parking on the curb and bundling his things and Grace's duffel as the young girl runs to the door. Comfortable as if it's her own house, she foregoes knocking and lets herself in, flying down the entranceway and towards the back where Steve undoubtedly is. Manoeuvring himself and their things in, Danny kicks the door shut behind him, going to place his things upstairs before going to see his partner.

Steve looks much better than the last time Danny saw him. His face is resting in it's usual tan, his feet are kicked back and a fresh glass sweats in his hand. Grace is plastered to him, no doubt having unceremoniously jumped onto his lap, jabbering away about her day and the latest elementary school dramas. Steve smiles in all the right places, lets out a chuckle.  
"Alrighty Monkey, off the old man." Danny announces his presence, scooping the now squealing girl up and around in a circle before plating her firmly on her feet. Steve laughs good naturedly, scooting up from his reclined position and taking a sip of his water.  
"Who're you calling old Danno?" He rises to his feet, bare, Danny notices, brushing off his shorts and stretching. "I hear someone wanted to go for a swim." He looks at Grace, who is quick to strip her sundress off to reveal the pineapple printed one-piece she'd changed into before they left (and hadn't he had words with Rachel when he'd seen that monstrosity).  
"I'll race you Uncle Steve." She replies, skinny legs turning to carry her towards the alluring call of the ocean. Danny's protective instincts are in overdrive with his little girl racing towards the ocean, which glitters in the moonlight. It's Steve's reassuring smile as he strips off his T-shirt, racing after the laughter, that has him settling into a chair with the beer he'd stolen from the fridge, content to watch Steve catch Grace, putting her over his shoulder and throwing the two of them into the water. He sips without tasting, not noticing the beer is just past lukewarm.

* * *

Steve's pretty happy in the water. He has his best fried kicking back on the beach and the little girl that has wormed her way into his heart by his side. They spent maybe an hour in the water before a chill sit in, and he swims over to where Gracie is diving under waves.

"Time to head in Gracie." He turns his back to her, where she clings on. He wades towards the shore. "Kono dropped the new Barbie movie over last week," he continues, heading towards where Danny is shaking out a towel for his daughter. "Barbie is a surfer in Hawaii that learns she's a mermaid." Grace's bubbly voice rolls out again in contemplation of the movie. It isn't something Steve never saw himself doing, watching a Barbie movie with a young girl and her father, but Steve's slowly realising that he'd do almost anything for the little girl clinging to his back, shivers slowly wracking her small frame. They're nearly at Dany now, and he swings her to his front, rubbing her arms to warm her up, taking the towel from Danny to wrap around her. They make easy conversation as Danny ushers Grace inside, patting her hind up towards the shower. Steve goes to change himself, settling into a pair of shorts and another tee, this time a navy blue, long sleeved ensemble with NAVY written down the sleeve. Grace is settle into the corner of the couch, a pair of dolphin shorts with matching tee replacing the swimwear. Danny's helped himself to a bag of chips, crouching in front of the DVD player to set up the movie. Steve should probably take a reading, he knows, but this moment right here, the closest to domestic bliss he's experienced for a while, this is pretty good. He settles down on the couch as the wind begins to howl outside. Good. It's about time for a storm, the days have been too hot for too long, and the rain will soothe the burn.

An hour later, Grace is halfway between Mermaidia (a term Steve will pretend he doesn't know) and sleep, Danny not far behind her. Steve's preparing to head up and do the reading he's long overdue for when a news bulletin comes in.

"We interrupt your programming to announce the arrival of a category 5 tropical storm, set to hit your location in the next hour. Residents are advised to tie down all lose items outdoors, then stay inside their houses for the duration of the storm. Thank you."  
The message repeats again, but Steve has already stopped paying attention. He runs outside, pulling in the outdoor furniture before securely bolting the door. If this storm is first being announced as category 5, it's surely only going to be upgraded. He checks the mini-fridge below the sink, and his heart jumps. He only has one measure of insulin left. This could be bad. He'd meant to stop on the way home, but the thought had never crossed him mind. He took a deep breath. No need to panic yet. Steve's broken from his planning by small hand on the curve of his back. He turns to see Grace, smelling like mint toothpaste and the strawberry shampoo she'd used earlier. Her hair is now in a braid Dany will claim she did herself and her eyes are hooded with sleep. She reaches up for a hug he gladly gives, arm coming around his neck as he carries her back through to the living room. Danny watches on with worry in his eyes, thunder is rumbling not far off. He hands the young girl off to her father with a quick 'good night Gracie', and goes about tidying up the mess left behind from the night while Danny tucks Grace in. Knowing he has a minute, he ducks into the bathroom, pulling out his meter. Reading his number, he knows he can make the night without his insulin. He throws the strip away, walking back out of the bathroom as Danny comes back downstairs. Seeing the worry in his partners eyes, Steve is quick to reassure him.  
"Danno, this place is a fort. We have enough food and fresh water to last a week, if not more." He neglects to mention the lack of insulin. "Hit the sack, storm won't really hit until tomorrow morning." He sends his friend off to bed, hoping he's telling the truth.

Morning comes and the storm has blown over. It's a rarity, but not unheard for. Steve is up, back from his run and out for his swim by the time Danny and Grace begin to stir. He's one hundred metres off shore when he hears his name being bellowed from the open doors of his home. Turning around, he begins an easy freestyle back to shore. There's a towel and glass of water waiting on the lanai, a clear message from Danny to not come inside until he's dry. Steve shakes his head fondly, happy butterflies dancing through his stomach at the way Danny treats the place as his own. He walks inside (now dry), to the smell of pancakes and the sound of Grace's laughter, it's gentle tinkling floating towards him as if on a breeze, caressing his ear gently with its sweet sound.  
"Good Morning sleepy-heads," he intones, a gentle ruffle of Graces hair and a clasp of Danny's shoulder (and forgive him if he wishes it was a gentle morning embrace, a chaste kiss).

The three of them settle down for breakfast, Grace suggesting a walk through the caves Steve's been telling her about. Danny fights half-heartedly, but much to Steve and his daughter's delight, he never can say no. Grace races upstairs to wash syrup off her face and get ready, Danny following behind with traces of sleep in his steady gait. Steve takes charge of packing bags, filling his own pre-packed hike bag with a small cool-bag with his insulin and packing water and sandwiches for lunch. He traipses up the stairs and swaps into cargos, strapping on his ankle holster. Picking up a light jacket, he wanders downstairs to wait. 

The hike is going well. They've stopped for lunch, Steve's had his injection and knows they'll be back at the car long before he needs his next one. Grace, as usual, is being a trooper, childlike delight in her features at every outlook and new bird. The caves are a huge hit, and they turn around to head for the Silverado parked back ten kilometres at the old ranger's station. They've left the caves a kilometre behind when the first drop of rain hits. Steve looks up at the sky, dread filling him when he realises the storm he'd put out of his mind has doubled back. When he realises they'd never make it to the car, not with a flagging ten-year-old and he approaching rain. When he realises he has the two people with him he cares for most; realises that he is completely, utterly, royally screwed.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed, he next chapter will be up ASAP, hopefully tomorrow.  
Rose xx


	3. Chapter 3

Hi Everyone,  
Thanks so much for the support on the story so far. I would have had this up earlier but someone *glares at computer* deleted most of this chapter. Anyway, hope you like it, and hopefully the POV shifts aren't too confusing. Please let me know what you think.  
Rose xx  
me no own still ):

* * *

Hi Everyone,  
Thanks so much for the support on the story so far. I would have had this up earlier but someone *glares at computer* deleted most of this chapter. Anyway, hope you like it, and hopefully the POV shifts aren't too confusing. Please let me know what you think.  
Rose xx  
me no own still ):

* * *

The first drop of rain has Danny looking up. The second has him looking at Steve. The usually composed SEAL looks slightly panicked. Danny quickly slips his own bag off, pulling Grace's deep purple rain-coat from its depth and helping her into it.  
"Alright," Steve says, voice dropping half an octave into a tone of command no one dares defy. "We aren't going to make it back to the truck, our best shot is the cave. Grace, hop on my back." He shifts his pack to his front as the young girl open her mouth in protest. The six-foot-plus frame kneels so they are eye to eye.  
"Grace, it is about to get very slippery and a bit scary. I want you safe. The best way for me to do that is to get you to the cave. I don't want you falling and we need to get there as fast as we can." Had the situation been different, Danny would contemplate the surge of warmth he gets at the protectiveness in his partner's voice while Grace nods solemnly and dutifully climbs onto his back. Instead, he follows Steve's determined gait, keeping eyes on the track in front of him rather than on the brunette's precious cargo.

They make good time, reaching the cave within ten minutes. The track was steep and slick with mud, the rain already beating down. Steve ushers him inside the mouth of the cave, and then places Grace firmly inside, bringing up the rear himself. Danny immediately sits down and works off his sodden boots, sliding the sopping socks off onto the floor in a smelly, woollen pile together on the ground. Steve, bless his prepared navy ass (and man, that is a great ass), is pulling a spare tee and socks from his pack, throwing them in Danny's direction. He gratefully slides them off, watching in wonder as Steve gently hands Grace a warm, dry sweatshirt and socks. Steve is scuttling around the cave, gathering small wood shavings and the branches that have been deposited in the corners over time.  
"We need wood, this place is going to get cold quickly." Steve is pulling a flashlight out; the rainforest has darkened considerably as the storms picked up in the minutes since they found shelter.  
"Are you mad?" Danny asks, and he actually means it because the wind is loud, even from the depths of the cave and going outside seems like a death wish right now. Danny's worried. Steve was weird, and his worry from the previous night had returned with a vengeance. There was a panic in his eyes he'd never seen, and this wasn't near the most dangerous situation they'd ever been in, even with the addition of Grace by his side. "We need a fire, to dry our clothes and if we're here for much longer we'll need somewhere to sterilise water." His tone leaves no room for objection, and Danny is forced to watch his back disappear out of the cave.

* * *

Steve's worried. He'll admit that readily. His brief inventory of his pack had had him cursing his own stupidity; there was an empty box of power-bars and his glucose tablets were safely tucked into the glovebox of his truck. His head is beginning to pound and his lips are tingling. He gathers as much wood as he can carry, scurrying into the undergrowth where the driest timber lays, and deposits it in the dry entrance to the cave. He once again retreats and begins to collect his next load. Halfway done, he ducks into an alcove next to the mouth of their cave. He pulls his meter from pocket, testing. He swears. 8mmol/L. His levels will drop fast with the exercise and stress. He makes his way back inside, shaking his head to clear the water from his eyes. He dumps the wood and lights the tinder he'd gathered, laying the wet branches around the fire to dry them out. Danny walks over, Steve's sat phone in his hand. "I've called Chin. They recon' the storm will blow over late tomorrow morning. They can get us then, we've got enough water. We might be a bit hungry, but that's nothing we can't handle, right monkey?" he ruffles Grace's hair. Steve silently disagree at the okay-ness of the situation, but he stays silent. He strips his sodden t-shirt and cargos, leaving him slightly shivering in his boxers and and ankle holster (which he quickly deposits into his pack). He huddles next to his small fire as his clothes dry, trying to conserve his remaining sugar, knowing it's fruitless.

An hour passes, then two. Danny is talking quietly with Grace, both leaning up against the wall, with feet extended towards the warmth of the fire. Steve's head started to drop. He could feel his toes tingling. Shakily, he stands.  
"I'll be back, call of nature." He walks towards the exit, hand already feeling around for his meter.  
Once in the solitude provided by the alcove, he checks his BGL. 3.8mmol/L. The way the canopy of howling trees did circles around him was confirmation that the reading wasn't wrong. The game was up, he knew, and resolutely, he headed back inside, one shaking step after another. Coming across the lip of the entranceway, he stumbled, the noise dragging the attention of Grace.  
"Uncle Steve?" And that, he was sure, was fear in her voice. But that wasn't right, because Grace should never be scared, never-ever. He had to fix that. He'd vowed to.  
"Why're you sc'rd Gr'cie?" He came closer to her, voice slurring more than he thinks it should.  
The sound of his voice and the young girl's distress drew her father. Danny approached, the sat phone clasped in his hand once again.  
"Hold on Chin," the phone is dropped to his side. "What the hell Steve?"  
"Danno." And he knows there was something he's meant to tell his partner for the life of him he can't remember what.  
"I don't know Chin, he's sweating but it's freezing in here, pale as anything as well. Looks like he's gonna check out any second. Maybe he's high." Danny's eyes rage with fire. "Steve, I swear if you're high right now." A voice faintly comes from the phone, placating the flames. It's probably Chin. That's a funny name. You can have a butt chin or a double chin. It really is a funny name. Steve smiles.  
He reaches for his pocket, he thinks there's something in there Danny should have. He hands him the flashlight.  
"Steve, I have a light. What's going on with you?" Steve figures that isn't what he meant to give him. He tries again, and hands Danny the next thing in his pocket. The rest of the conversation between Chin and Danny is blurring out, but Steve finds he doesn't care much. He's feeling fuzzy, and cold. So cold. Danny looks warm, he thinks, hands curling up by his side into fists. Maybe he'll lean on him. Just for a second.

* * *

Danny is working with Chin to try and figure out what is going on with his partner, when another object finds its way into his hand.  
"Yes, thank you Steve," he talks as if to a child, unzipping the small black case he's been handed, hoping it will be more useful than the flashlight. "Sorry Chin he just handed me a- oh no." The thought is completed as over 6 foot of Steve's stupid, stubborn body is resting on him. "Chin, I'm going to put you down, he's just collapsed on me." He adjusts the two of them until Steve is lying on his side on the floor, and quickly strips of the sweatshirt he'd put on earlier to lay over his friend.  
"Chin, are you there?" There's a pause, and for a second, he fears the call will drop out.  
"Danny, thank-god, what the hell is happening out there?"  
"Chin," he says, and he knows his voice is shaking. "By the fact he's out at my feet and the Blood Glucose meter he just handed me, I'm pretty sure Steve is diabetic."  
Chin's breath intakes sharply, but exhales slowly, calming down. "Alright Danny, keep your head. By the symptoms you gave me, I'm going to go with low blood sugar. Take five, check his levels and see what supplies you have. I'll work on our end, get a rescue out to you as soon as we can. I'll call you back." The phone goes dead.

Danny reaches for the kit but is stopped by a small voice.  
"Danno?" And if that small voice doesn't break his heart more than Steve collapsing already has.  
"Monkey." He pulls her into a comforting hug that he knows he needs to cut short. "Uncle Steve has been naughty, he was sick and he didn't tell us. Now, I need you to be really brave while we take care of him, okay?" She nods, and he gets back to the task at hand. Steve is right where he left him, on his side, hands curled by his ribs like a small child in sleep. Danny's earlier assessment had been wrong, Steve isn't unconscious. His eyelids are at half mast, lashes fluttering in a way Danny would find ridiculously attractive anywhere else. He's mumbling incoherently too, and Danny quickly pricks his finger, inserting the now blood speckled strip into the machine and waiting. He sets the pocket-sized machine down to do its' thing and starts to tap Steve's cheek.  
"Come on buddy, wake up. Come on Steve, Gracie's here, waiting for you." That elicits a response, and Steve's eyelids move more deliberately.  
"G'ceee." Steve sounds distressed, his head moving weakly. Danny moves to soothe him but is beaten. Grace's small hand finds her Uncle's head, stroking the sweaty hair back.  
"It's alright Uncle Steve. Me and Danno are lookin' after you."  
Danny smiles at the girls and reaches for the machine which has now beeped. His heart drops. The meter reads 2.9mmol/L. And even with his basic first aid knowledge, he knows that's bad.  
"Grace, this is really important," the ten-year-old's serious gaze meets his. "I don't have anything for Uncle Steve, and he needs something to eat really badly. Do you have anything in your backpack? Candy maybe?" She jumps up, eager to help.  
"I'll have a look." She scurries to her bag in the corner, in time with the buzzing of the sat phone.  
"Chin." Danny lets out a breath he didn't realise he was holding. "He's really low. I have Grace looking for food but I don't have anything and Steve doesn't either." Any reply is interrupted by the return of a downtrodden Grace. "I don't have anything."  
He kisses her forehead. "Thank you for looking beautiful. Can you stay and keep Uncle Steve company while I'm on the phone?" She nods, resuming her place by his head and Danny walks out of her earshot.  
"Tell me you've got something. Please Chin."  
"We have a team coming on foot, it's the best we can do. They'll stretcher Steve out and someone will wait the storm out with you and Grace."  
"Bullshit they will."  
Despite the situation, Chin laughs. "I thought you might say that. Alright, be ready to come with Grace, make sure she has lots of water. They should be with you in the hour."  
Danny hopes he's telling the truth.

* * *

Steve is floating. Somewhere between asleep as awake. There is a warm patch on his face, but the rest of him is ice cold. He moans, and a soothing hum invades his little world. His eyes are closed, that much he can tell. But suddenly everything explodes and he thinks no more.

* * *

"Danno!" Forty tense minutes have passed since his conversation with Chin and Danny is pulling a bottle of water out when the terrified shout erupts. He turns in a heartbeat, is at Grace's side in another. Steve's muscles have pulled taught, his elbows and knees locked. His chin juts up and his eyes have finally opened, but it isn't a welcome tight as they are rolled back into his head. Danny knows what's about to happen a second before it does.  
"Get back Grace." He orders and feels terrible for the harsh tone he forces himself to use. She jumps, startled. Danny whips the sweatshirt covering Steve off, and folds it under his head. It's not a second too soon, because that's when Steve starts to seize.

* * *

Stay tuned and let me know what you thought.  
Rose xx


	4. Chapter 4

Hi Everyone.  
With this upload comes the replacement off all other chapter, with all new editing! Some points have been changed in chapter four, so it hopefully reads a little more smoothly and also has a better timeline leading into chapter four. Reading through my work I was mortified by all the mistakes a fresh set of eyes picked up and have since rectified this (I hope). Additionally, I have changed the word bathers (a word I often forget is a uniquely Melbourne word for swimwear), hopefully this clears up any confusion. This one is slightly shorter than the rest, but I wanted to get something out before the final chapter. Tomorrow will be a huge updating day; the final chapter will come with the upload of my first oneshot and the launching chapter of a new story, Broken Blue. Both these new uploads will have a healthy dose of whump. Anyway, enjoy the latest chapter of Low, all reviews are gratefully received, so thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to do so. See you on the flip,  
Rose xx  
Would own if I could, don't so I cry

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One. Two. Three. Four. The seconds take an eternity as Steve's muscles contract, a low, croaking grunt echoing hollowly through the cave in tie with his jerks. All Danny can do it watch, a meter back as he holds his daughter close. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two. Time is passing all too slowly and much too fast. The seizure is showing no sign of stopping, and Danny is powerless to halt the war it rages in his friend. A particularly violent jolt sends Steve's head off the sweatshirt and it begins beating rhythmically against the floor. Danny is quick to jump down, the cold of the floor seeping through the knees of his jeans not registering through the worry that floods his mind. He gently slides his leg under his friend's head, wishing there was more he could do to help. Steve's movement shows no sign of abating, and he begins to choke, a gurgling, watery moan that Danny wishes he'd lived his life ever hearing. His face is sheet white, Hawaiian tan Danny had always admired showing no trace of returning. Steve's arm flings out to the side, smacking a rock with a brutal crack and Danny prays it isn't broken, though the angle it's on tells him otherwise. He looks at Grace's tear stained face. "It'll be okay Grace. It will be." He doesn't know if he's reassuring his daughter or himself.

A shout at the cave entrance has his head darting up, and for a second, hope floods his heart. Pinned by a burden he would never give up, he looks to Grace for help. Wise beyond her years, she is already racing towards the people crowding the entrance, talking loudly. A man is swiftly kneeling next to Danny, older than he but younger than his father, oaky brown eyes and steady hands reassuring him.  
"Hi, Danny is it? I understand your friend Steve is diabetic. I'm going to help him out but I need you to tell me exactly what's going on here." While he talks, a younger woman is rapidly taking a glucose reading from Steve, swiftly injecting a shot into his thigh and clipping a portable pulse meter to his finger. Almost instantly, the seizure begins to abate, and Danny lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He begins to describe what has happened in the hours since the storm hit (and judging by the rain-soaked arrivals in the cave, it has yet to let up), from the strange, drunk behaviour Steve had been displaying before his collapse and subsequent seizure. While he talks, the young medic is busily strapping an oxygen mask to Steve's face, over lips which had been steadily turning blue throughout the duration of the last few terrifying minutes. Fear is slowly draining and he is embarrassed to feel moisture welling in his eyes. It's then he remembers Grace, his brave little girls and he instantly begins to seek her. His gaze lands over by the lazily burning fire, where a sopping wet Chin holds an equally wet, woman's raincoat, and next to him, wrapped in the arms of Kono, is Grace. Danny's need to be with his daughter overrides the fear of leaving Steve, and he rises. He pulls her tight towards him, breathing her in.  
"Danno is Uncle Steve going to die?" It's a knife to his chest because for a moment Danny can't say 'of course not' and know he's being entirely truthful.  
"The doctors are helping him right now sweetheart." It's the best he can manage while he's watching the paramedics actions become more frantic.  
Kono and Chin are by his side, both watching on with worry creased on their brows. Kono is the first to break the silence. "Danny how did this happen? Did you know he was diabetic?"  
Danny shakes his head, words escaping him as Kono quietly curses in a language Danny can only guess. Steve is being rolled now, a basket stretcher slid underneath him. An IV line has been established in the moments Danny has been distracted, and the bag is tucked in beside him as he's secured with bright orange straps. For a moment, Danny wants to shout out, knowing Steve's hate (fear, he knows it's fear) of the restraints. But before he can speak out, the basket is largely covered by a tarpaulin (again strapped down) and it's picked up between to muscled men Danny hadn't noticed until now, and Steve's gone, disappearing into the rain.  
"Danny, are you listening?" He turns to see Chin, who is pulling his raincoat back on, Kono and Grace already in theirs, the latter crunching on a granola bar, the remnants of second one coating the collar of her shirt.  
"Sorry," he says, now paying attention, "go on."  
"We're moving out now, there's a break in the storm. It's going to be our best opportunity for a few hours. I'll be up the front, Kono's going to be in the middle with Grace, she's the only one small enough to walk side by side with her. You bring up the rear. Ready to go?"  
Danny nods an affirmative and smiles at Grace. "You're being so brave monkey. We'll be home soon, okay?"  
"No." Her tone is stubborn and he swears she didn't get it from him.  
"No?"  
"We can't go home, we have to go and see Uncle Steve, I have to make sure he's okay."  
"Alright. Well go see him when we get back, okay?" He doesn't bother telling her of the interlude he plans making her take for food and clean cloths, possibly some sleep, in between times.  
"Danny, we really need to get going." He nods in response at Chin, and they set off.

The rain has abated slightly, but it doesn't make the trip much easier. Every time Grace stumbles in the slightest, Danny's heart misses a beat, even as Kono is keeping her on her feet. The wind is still holing, Chin's directions are lost and they have to rely on a series of wild arm waves and thumbs up. An hour into the walk, and the toll of the trip is beginning to sink in for Danny. He knows they're not too far now, another hour at most, but each step feels like lifting a lead weight and his hair is plastered to his face, irritating his eyes. Hunger naws in his stomach and he regrets not asking if there was another granola bar before they'd left. Worse still than any physical pain is the constant ache of worry he can't shake. He's never seen Steve like he was in the cave. Completely disoriented, the confusion of his partner had been alien and terrifying. Scarier still was the seizure, watching his body shake and fingernails turn blue and knowing he couldn't do anything to help his friend. Friend. He contemplates the word. Steve has been more than a friend since he met him. The man is intense, he takes up a room when he's there, and is more fiercely protective than anyone Danny has ever met. He'd taken to Grace so quickly, and anyone that made his daughter squeal with happy laughter earns a tick in his books. He felt safer with Steve than anyone had ever made him feel. The thought of losing him makes Danny feel physically ill. There is a burning in his chest that takes him a moment to identify. Love. He hasn't felt love this intense since Grace was born, and never with Rachel. He'd never considered himself gay, or even bi, but trudging through the rain, terror in his heart at the thought of losing the man he realises he loves, it's starting to look like a possibility.

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Thanks for reading. Please leave a review letting me know what you think.  
Rose xx


	5. Chapter 5

Hi Everyone, welcome back too Low for the final time. There will be a few other notes at the end, please read them if you stick around. Anyway, that's all for now. Enjoy, Rose xx Still not mine.  
(Vomit warning for this chapter, sorry if that puts you off).

* * *

The clearing where they'd parked the Silverado comes into view and Danny is ready to collapse with relief. Steve is long gone, and Danny races over the truck, keys pulled from the depths of Steve's pack, ready to leave.  
"Danny, what are you doing?" He looks up, seeing Kono, Chin ad Grace standing soaked in the rain.  
"Going to find out what's happening to our friend, what do you think?" It is harsher than he expects.  
"Danny, you're in no condition to drive right now. Kono will take the truck back, you and Grace come with me, I've got clean clothes and food for you." And yeah, Danny can recognise the logic in that. He hands the keys off to his female teammate, wrapping an arm around Grace and following Danny to his car. Inside the cab, he helps her change into a pair of sweatpants and yet another warm, dry hooded jumper. There's also a clean pair of sneakers Dany knows she left at Chin's when they stopped there for some paperwork a few weeks ago, and the second she's changed and buckled in, her chin drops to her chest and her breathing evens out. Danny shimmies himself into a pair of jeans and swaps his shoes out, but his shirt has been kept dry enough by his coat. Once modest, he picks up the pre-packaged protein shake which Steve would scoff at, a thought that makes Danny's heartstrings pull, and hops of the centre console of the car to sit in the front seat next to Chin, with one last look reassuring himself Grace is safely asleep.  
"What are you thinking right now."  
Danny sighs and looks at Chin. "I'm thinking I might have just watched my best friend die and there was nothing I could do to stop it." Misplaced guilt shines in Chin's eyes, and Danny is quick to recover. "And I'm wondering why the hell we haven't burnt rubber out of here yet." Chin chuckles dryly and puts the car into reverse, pulling out of the gravel covered parking lot.  
Danny lets out heaving breath. "You have no idea how mad I am at him Chin. When he came back inside that second time, he looked like he was on drugs. And he was scaring Grace which just made me so angry. And then he collapsed and suddenly I was terrified because I had no idea what was going on. When I realised he was diabetic, god, did you know?" He sees Chin shake his head sadly. "Why didn't he tell us?"

He asks out loud, but really, he knows. Steve doesn't trust anyone, not really. Danny has seen the loneliness in his eyes. The distrust. He's like one of the battered kids Danny dealt with in Jersey; their hearts yearned for love nd affection, but hey were too scared to let anyone in, lest they be let down again. "Do you think he'll be okay?" Danny asks now, because he isn't the one that needs to be strong, grace is asleep and h can finally voice the fear he's been feeling since that first drop of rain hit and he saw the look of fear in Steve's eyes.  
Chin sighs, again, and it has Danny's heart in his throat. "He's strong Danny, strong and stubborn. Stupid too, but I'm hoping the strong and stubborn cancel that out. I can't imagine what the two of you went through last night with him, but from what I saw when we got there, I have a bit of an idea. I think you should get some sleep. We're forty minutes from the hospital, maybe an hour given there's roads out with tree blockage from the storm. I'll wake you up when we get there, and hopefully we'll know something by then." The older man's words must hold some sort of power, because Danny's eyes fall closed almost of their own accord. The sound of the car purring down the highway slowly fades out, and he thinks no more.

* * *

Steve feels like crap. Crap that got hit by a bus, shoved under an ice-covered lake and then laid out on a mortuary slab. The tips of his fingers hurt, in a way they only do from multiple blood tests in a relatively short space of time. His mouth feels fuzzy, and something is heavy and irritating on his face. His toes are vaguely numb, but for the life of him Steve has no idea what the hell happened. His eyes feel crusty, and peeling them open is way more of an effort than it should be. Finally, he can see. He's clearly in a hospital room, and he realises he can feel an IV line and pulse clip on his finger as well as his old nemesis, the uncomfortable weigh of a Foley catheter. He wonders what has happened t put him in this situation this time, and his eyes land on Danny, slumped over on a couch with Grace tucked firmly into his side, equally fast asleep. His brow crinkles in confusion, before realisation comes flood back. Danny knows. He _knows_. There is no way he can't know and Steve wants to fold into himself. He turns his head away from Danny, eyes already feeling heavy and he hopes passes out soon because otherwise he's going to have to face Danny who _knows_. His eyes have landed on the door just as it opens, and the movement makes him feel slightly ill and he really hopes he doesn't throw up because that would make this whole thing worse. The person that comes through the door is familiar ad that's when Danny realises it's Chin, Kono on his heels. That means they know too and yep, there's that nausea. He feels himself heave, and Chin shoots to the bed as Kono dashes straight back where she came from. There's vomit thick on his face and he can't breath; the liquid's not falling down his face, something is stopping it. Humiliation urns through him even as his stomach heaves again, and he gladly welcomes the encroaching blackness. The last thing he feels is a pressure released off his face, and as warm sick rolls away he too ebbs away into nothingness.

* * *

Danny is woken by the sound of commotion. He is disoriented for a second, before he remembers. Hospital. He and Grace had crashed here after realising Steve wasn't waking up anytime soon. But the brunette isn't where he'd left him, sleeping peacefully, if not all to grey under the oxygen mask the doctor insists is just a precaution. Instead, he's weakly thrashing around. There's vomit jammed under the mask, and Chin is trying to get under the flailing arms and free it because Steve's making the same wet choking noise as back in the cave. He jumps towards the bed. Ducking under a flying fist, he rips the oxygen mask off Steve's face, turning him onto his side and slapping his back as h continues to heave. His body has gone limp, no longer flailing, and the lack of movement is scarier than the violence. A doctor and nurse rush in a second later, taking over and rapidly firing questions and responses at each other. Danny staggers back, watching as Steve is settled. The doctor looks at Danny.

He's alright," he starts, and for that Danny is grateful. "We're going to quickly take him down to imaging, make sure he didn't aspirate any vomit. I think he's find, it's just precaution." And really, everything is a precaution with this guy, but Danny isn't to annoyed. He bed is swiftly wheeled away, and suddenly Steve is gone again. Danny looks overt to where Grace still slumbers, glad she's still asleep. Nurses are cleaning up the carnage, and the remaining members of 5-0 collapse back into their spots. Once again, Steve's gone and they can only wait.

A tense hour later, the doctor comes back. He tells a relieved room that Steve's lungs are clear, and said man is being settled back into his room in clean sheets and a fresh set of scrubs. They greying doctor informs them he should wake within the hour, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

* * *

When Steve wakes again, he feels better. The oxygen mask is gone, replaced with a canula ad while Steve rues the need for it, he'll settle over the bulky mask that makes him feel like an invalid. He lets out a deep breath, bitter vomit on his breath.  
"Steve." Danny breathes, and he realises his friend is right by his side.  
"Hi." His voice is croaky, but his head clear.  
"I was so worried." Danny says, and he pieces together what has happened through Danny's stuttering breaths, and is Danny crying?

"Danno?"  
"Steve you have no idea what you did to me. I know your weirdo trust issues but you have to trust us, you could have died. And I couldn't live if you died man, I couldn't." The revelation has Steve gaping. And as he looks into Danny's eyes, he can see, and the feelings he'd been holding back for the past years are mirrored there. He doesn't need words. Embarrassment will surely come later. There will need to be a discussion, and he'll apologise until Danny tells him to shut up. He'll take Grace surfing, shoot pool with Kono. He'll try to buy Chin a beer, which he'll refuse and everyone will probably be weird around him for a while. But that all comes later. For now, he has everything he needs.  
"Danny." He says, and the world is held in that word.

* * *

Danny looks across at Grace, curled on the couch with Steve's shift pressed to her face. Steve is smiling weakly from the bed, oxygen mask removed hours earlier and colour slowly returning to his cheeks. Danny still wants to slap him and simultaneously wrap him in bubble wrap so he never gets hurt again. But he'll settle for hour f research on the diabetes and keeping an insulin pen and packet of jelly beans in his pocket.

"Come'ere." Steve says, voice low and husky. He leans forward, capturing Steve's lips. There's tears in his eyes, and Steve's lips are chapped under his. He can vaguely taste something acidic the logical part of his brain knows is sick and e's sure his breath, a mixture of stale coffee and un-brushed teeth isn't much better. But Steve is there under him, warm and alive, kissing him back with a hand weakly grasping his tee-shirt. They're going to be okay. It's the best kiss Danny has ever had.

* * *

Thank you one and all for the incredible support. I've loved the ride with Low and seeing the views and reviews made me eager to post updates as fast as I could. With the in mind, I invite you to head over to check out my work, Broken Blue (I've decided to hold the release of my first oneshot for a while, as I wasn't one hundred percent happy with it).The summary is below, and I hope to see some of you over there checking it out. Finally, I'd love to do some timestamps for Low, if anyone's interested, detailing Steve and Danny's lives moving forwards and their adventures as a family with Steve's diabetes. On one final note, I would love some requests! Be that a timestamp for low, oneshots or multi-chaptered adventures, shoot me a message or leave a comment in the reviews and I'll do my best. All the best,  
Until next time,  
Rose xx

Multi-Chapter- Broken Blue  
The day starts well. Steve has a ring in his pocket and he's taking Danny to his favourite place in the world. But then, there is a plane going down, an emergency ejection. Miles of empty ocean. Danny's hurt, and that isn't the worst of Steve's problems.


	6. Timestamp Announcement

Hi Everyone! Head over to my page to check out my first timestamp for Low, **Makuakāne,** in a brand new collection, "Highs and Lows". Not going to go into detail about how long it took me tot come up with that title...  
Enjoy,  
Rose xx


	7. Sequel Announcement

Hey Everyone! Head over to Ke Kaumaha to read the first, multi chapter sequal to this! Summary Below!

Steve's life has been pretty good since the team found out about his diabetes. He's not so lonely anymore. But a phone call changes everything, and suddenly, being 'Low' might just be the least of Steve's problems.


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